Apparatus for removing foreign matters

Abstract

Apparatus for removing foreign matter in liquid which includes a cylindrical housing, a radial inlet pipe provided on an upper portion of the housing, an outlet pipe axially mounted on the housing at the upper portion, a conical cylindrical filter disposed in the housing and connected to the end of the outlet pipe so as to discharge the liquid from the inlet pipe through said filter and the outlet pipe, a deflector for deflecting the liquid from the inlet pipe so as to swirl it round the filter, and an extracting pipe provided on the housing at the bottom portion. The filter extends conically from the inlet pipe or outlet pipe toward the bottom of the casing. The liquid from the inlet pipe is swirled by the operation of the deflector and directed downward by the position of the filter while swirling. The foreign matter in the liquid and deposited on the filter are swirled by the swirling liquid, condensed by centrifugal force and downward movement. The condensed foreign matters are extracted by an opening up of the extracting pipe.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for removing foreign matters such as marine organisms in a liquid stream, the apparatus comprising: a closed housing having a first end of a larger diameter, a second end of a smaller diameter, and a side wall member with an inner wall of a conical shape gradually decreasing in diameter from around said first end to said second end;   inlet means disposed near the first end of said housing and extending radially therefrom for introducing the liquid stream into said housing in a radial direction with respect to a center axis of said housing;   deflector means disposed at said inlet means for swirling the liquid stream in said housing;   outlet means disposed coaxially with said housing and located at the first end thereof for discharging the liquid stream from said housing after filtration;   filter means coaxially disposed in said housing and mounted on an end plate of said first end of said housing, said filter means having a conical configuration with a diameter decreasing gradually in a direction toward the second end of said housing at an inclination angle of θ 1 , said filter means being arranged in said housing so that an annular liquid passage is defined between the inner wall of said housing and an outer surface of said filter means, said annular liquid passage extending axially from said inlet means to said second end of said housing and being gradually reduced in a cross-sectional area taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said housing towards the second end so that the liquid stream with the foreign matter can be moved toward the second end of the housing while swirling around said filter means;   means for adjusting the deflector means so as to change a swirling direction of the liquid stream; and   extracting means radially provided in said side wall member of said housing near the second end of said housing and communicating with said annular passage for extracting the foreign matter along with part of the liquid.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle θ 2  of said conical wall of said housing and the inclination angle θ 1  of said filter means are approximately the same and are at least 5°. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said annular liquid passage allows a free change in a liquid swirling direction caused by said deflector means in accordance with a movement of said deflector means.